Lesson

#5 Introduction to Treaties

Grade Level:

2/3

Subject:

Social Studies

Prepared By:

Kelsey Graff & Debbie Steele

Date: April 7, 2011

Overview & Purpose: 1. The students will learn about what treaties mean and how they affect everyone including themselves. 2. The students will learn about how the treaties were made from a First Nations perspective. 3. The students will learn what treaty they are a part of. PGG goal(s) addressed: - 1.3 Uses constructivist principles to guide student learning: Students are introduced to treaties, first, by feeling what the First Nations peoples felt at the time of signing. The rest of the lesson is built off of that feeling. - 6.4 Plans and develops engaging and authentic lessons that demonstrate knowledge and confidence in subject matter: Students are put into a authentic learning situation when their candy is taken away from them.

Broad Areas of Learning: Cross Curricular Competencies: - Developing Thinking: The students will be asked to brainstorm ideas several times throughout the lesson. - Developing Identity and Interdependence: The students will be learning that they are treaty people and that people rely on each other to meet their needs.

Outcome:

Teacher DR 2.4 Describe the influence of treaty and First Nations people on the local community.

Students Indicators: a. Investigate the relationship of traditional First Nations to the land. b. Identify on a map the treaty territory within which the local community is situated. c. Describe the reasons for treaty from the perspective of the First Nations and the government.

Procedures: 1. Can you boys and girls tell me what a promise is and how it can be kept? Brainstorm on the white board. - The teacher will give students their own bag of candy along with a piece of paper with Russian writing and a spot to sign their name. The teacher will ask them to sign their names onto the piece of paper before they can eat their candy. The teacher will promise them several times that they will get to eat the candy if they sign their names. 2. The teacher will take the candy away after every student signs their name. The teacher will explain to them that the paper they signed said that the teachers would now get all of the candy. - Ask the students how they are feeling about the situation that has just happened. Write on the board their responses. 3. - Read the story A Promise is a Promise by Robert Munsch. Have the students sit in a circle on the floor. - Ask: What does this story teach you about promises? Is it a good idea to break a promise? Does it create problems? 1. The students will brainstorm with the teacher what a promise means to them and how it can be kept. - The students will write their names on the piece of paper in front of them.

Materials Needed: - Candy for every student - A paper containing Russian writing along with a place for the students to sign their name. - White board - White board markers

2. The students will have their candy taken away from them and will relate to the teacher how they feel about the situation.

White board White board markers

3. The students will listen to the story at the back of the room on the floor. - The students will respond to the question posed by the teacher.

- Munsch, Robert. (1988). A Promise is a Promise. Ontario: Annick Press Ltd. This is a First Nations story that teaches the students a lesson about keeping promises.

4. First Nations people and the Newcomers made a promise to each other to share the land. Does anybody know what these promises are called? - Explain that treaties were made so that everyones needs could be met. 5. Explain to the students that when the First Nation Chiefs (leaders) signed the treaty promises they did not understand the writing, just like they did not understand the Russian writing on the pieces of paper that they had to sign. Therefore, the First Nations people did not know what they were signing. The paper that they signed did not list all the promises that were made, just like their candy was not promised on their sheets of paper. - Why is the treaty promise about sharing the land with the newcomers so important to First Nations people? 6. Explain to the students that Saskatoon is within treaty number 6. Treaty number 6 means that it was the sixth treaty to be signed by First Nations people. 7. We are all treaty people because we live within the treaty promises. We are all able to share the land because of these

4. The students will answer the question posed by the teacher.

5. The students will listen to the teacher explain treaty promises. - The students will brainstorm the question posed by the teacher.

6. The students will view the map of treaties in Saskatchewan.

- A map of treaties in Canada found in the Treaty Kit.

7. The students will learn the saying about treaties.

- White board - White board markers

7. We are all treaty people because we live within the treaty promises. We are all able to share the land because of these promises. - Teach the students the saying: For as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the waters flow, we are treaty people write the saying on the board. 8. Watch the video As Long As the Sun Shines.

7. The students will learn the saying about treaties.

- White board - White board markers

8. The students will watch the video.

- As Long As the Sun Shines Video in Treaty Kit

Accommodations/Modifications Assessment (Steps to check for student understanding must assess outcomes.)

Closure (Reinforce the lesson)

9. Hand out the We Are Treaty 9. TheNone students will read the - We are Treaty People on None People handout. Read it over handout with the teacher Appendix L in the grade 1 treaty together with the students. If there - The students will color the resource book. The teacher will watch Other Resources is -time they can color them. for student handout. - The students should participate in the participation in class discussions. activities throughout the lesson. - The teacher will watch for the - The students should be able to connect - The Office of the students attention to the video ideas leaned in previous lessons to this Treaty being viewed. lesson. Commissioner. - The teacher will note whether or (2008). The not the students can connect ideas Lifestyles of First learned in previous lessons to this Nations Peoples lesson. Before and After the Arrival of the - We will finish of our lesson/unit - The students will gather at the back of Newcomers: with a talking circle. We will the room. They will participate in the Teaching Treaties in gather at the back of the room in a talking circle. the Classroom: A circle and pass around a stone. Treaty Resource The students can only talk if they Guide for Grade 1. have the stone. We will ask them - Materials: stone Pp 115. Used for to talk about what they learned the We Are Treaty and what they found was most People handout. important in the unit we just taught them.

Reflections (What went well; what could be improved)

- This lesson went extremely well. The students reactions when we took away the candy were perfect. They truly felt betrayed and lied to. The students were really interested in the Robert Munsch book as well. The students also were able to connect their feelings to the feelings of the First Nations people at the time of treaty signing. The students learned a lot in this lesson because only one student had heard of treaties before.

Additional Notes